1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a lens array used in a line head, a line head for scanning a surface-to-be-scanned of a latent image carrier with light, and an image forming apparatus using the line head.
2. Related Art
A line head which scans light across a surface-to-be-scanned of a photosensitive member which is a latent image carrier to form a latent image is used as a light source for an electrophotographic printer which is an image forming apparatus. Among proposed as an LED (light emitting diode) print head which is a line head is one described in JP-A-2-4546 which uses a light emitting element group (that is, what is referred to as an “LED array chip” in JP-A-2-4546) which is formed by an arrangement of a plurality of LEDs which are light emitting elements. In JP-A-2-4546, one imaging lens focuses a plurality of luminous dot images on a photosensitive member. Known as a manufacturing method of a microlens array which is an imaging lens corresponding to an LED array chip includes a method of forming a mold by photolithography and electroforming and forming lenses on a glass substrate using a photoresist (JP-A-2005-276849). Also known is a method of forming microlens arrays on the both surfaces of a glass substrate (JP-A-6-208006).